Paulo Branco presents
with
a production by
with the support of
a film by
Give her some hot milk, love.
''Missing''
You've called Zé and Margarida.
We're not in at the moment.
Please leave a message after the beep.
Hello, Mário? Mário...?
Listen, l know you're there. Pick up the phone.
Zé doesn't want you at his house anymore.
Mário, pick up the phone!
Mrs Lurdes!
how is she doing, Mário? - Who?
Your wife. l'm asking if she's doing any better.
l've made some cookies for you to take her.
You shouldn't bother, Mrs Lurdes.
lt's no trouble. lt keeps me busy.
l'm always alone here...
l really enjoy reading but my eyes get tired.
lf something ever goes wrong it's one of these little devils' fault.
Well, let me get you those cookies.
They're good to distract you. And they go well with milk or tea.
l'm going up to change the others.
See you tomorrow.
Mrs Teresa is already suspicious!
One frame yes, the other one no.
lt jumps like this. lt goes this way.
Now with the two new ones, l've got... eleven.
how will you ever manage to watch so many tapes?
l got used to it...
ln the beginning l watched each one four times the normal speed.
Now l can watch several of them at the same time.
l still manage to sleep for a bit and do other things.
What other things?
Well, other things.
Well, this is how it goes.
Every morning l do exactly the same as l did the day Alice disappeared.
As if she is still with me...
l wake up exactly at the same time and l take the same time
it took me to get from home to the nursery school.
l follow the same steps.
l wake up, take a shower, brush my teeth, then l leave home.
l take Carlos' wedding suit... Remember?
Carlos' wedding suit...
Yes. On that day l took his suit to the laundry.
So, l take it everyday now.
l get the train. lt has to be the same train
otherwise l won't travel with the same people.
You always see the same people...
Always the same people.
Then l get off and go to the nursery.
l mean, l stop on my way to give the beggar some coins,
the one with the dolls l told you about.
l arrive at the nursery school...
And l come back.
ln the afternoon l go to people's houses to collect the tapes
and give out leaflets in town.
But why do you...
Why do you always repeat the same steps?
lt's like if l break the routine,
l'll never see her again.
Okay, okay.
But what if she's...
lf she's no longer in Lisbon... or out of the country?
People don't just disappear into thin air.
Sooner or later she'll pass along the same streets, and l'll be there.
right?
l'm sorry for all these questions...
So, Mário?
how are you doing, boy? - Okay...
Hi. Have a seat.
l'm going back to bed.
See you later... - See you later...
Some people in this world can be very mean, very mean.
We think we can go around at ease, but that's all a mistake.
All a mistake!
Every Sunday l go to that church of Minister Jocivalter.
l go there to ask God to bring little Alice back.
lt seems to comfort me.
Mr Mário, you know l saw her come into the world...
l just don't do more because l can't...
l'm only sorry l can't go there on Thursdays, which is the family day.
right?
Things in the church work this way: Monday is for the greatness of God.
There is a special prayer for the financial life;
Tuesday is the day for sickness - the meeting of the divine cure.
The cure for aids, cancer, drugs and all that.
Wednesday is the day of the children of God.
Thursday is the day of the chain of the family.
We take along pictures of friends and relatives who need help,
and we pray for them.
Just a moment!
Hi, is everything okay? - Yes.
Right. Let me show you something.
Tell me.
l want to show you something... See?
They've just come from Amsterdam. Ricky brought them for me.
lt's Pokemon , dolphins, man...
lf l make a good profit out of this shit l'll buy myself a boat
a really used one, of course
and l'll fix it up and sail around the world.
Keep that one for yourself.
Well, l saw these guys on TV who have been sailing for five years now, man.
Well, l got an e-mail from a guy, man, he says he was a FBl agent
but now he is retired and whatever.
But his stuff, his speciality is missing children.
Wait, wait a second. l'm sorry.
So? - Two.
So, what else?
So what?
So, nothing. But l only put the data in yesterday night.
These things take time, man. lt can take a year till you get any info.
now, from the moment you put the information here...
All the information is crossed, see?
All l see is you with your flyers, man, with your cameras.
You know that won't get you anywhere, don't you?
Here we see a bit of everything, man. lt's better than watching any soap.
People getting together, breaking up. You get a bit of everything.
People leaving the country and saying goodbye to their family...
Guys saying goodbye to their wives and meeting their mistresses inside.
Girls alone flirting with guys alone...
Guys alone flirting with other guys, man... We see everything, man.
Hey, watch this, camera two, see? Up there man, watch.
This couple, see, it's always the same thing every week.
He kisses the kid, kisses his wife...
now watch him, watch what he does.
Watch him. Goodbye and whatever...
Just watch it right.
He starts going up, watch number seven, look, up there.
He looks from one side to the other, like it's nothing to do with him...
See number eight down there?
On the left?? Watch, watch the guy.
You see him? Like nothing. Like where am l going, and stuff...
See the blonde? Just watch!
Blue pants... BANG!
That's why l left the soaps, man.
Why did you leave the soaps?
l dunno, man... l was a cable puller.
Camera assistant, see? A joke, man...
now l'm the director, man.
l choose the script. l decide on the camera.
now l'm on four, it's the exit from the metal detectors.
When l want to spot them, sometimes l even get them smiling,
thinking they got out, beautiful!
Hey, see, the two of them. Watch, watch, see?
Just look at this zoom, beautiful!
ls it her? - No...
Forget it, man, listen, You've got it all here on tape, okay?
Listen, you know you can only film on my shift or during the other guy's.
lt would be nice if you could keep the archive tapes.
Can't l?
No! You're crazy, man. Someone would spot me immediately, man!
The supervisor comes for the tapes and takes them to the head-office.
lf he noticed one of the masters was missing, l'd be fucked.
My ears are full of water.
Breathe deeply...
lt's okay now!
Did it work? My father taught me that.
Are you enjoying it??
lt's just the beginning... You've got to go slowly...
And how was your day?
Not bad.
Sometimes l think you're going crazy...
You and your videos... lt doesn't make any sense!
Let's have dinner.
Dry you hair because it's cold outside.
how do they make all these chips look the same?
Hum... Sorry?
The chips. how do they make them all look the same?
l don't know. With a machine?
Okay, with a machine... But where are the smaller bits?
l don't know...
l don't know.
Today is Alice's fourth birthday, did you know?
l would like to have the house full of people.
They are all the same...
They must use a machine, don't you think?
Okay then, bye. Merde.
Bye. l'll call you when it's over, okay?
Jack!
lt wasn't me, Jack.
Would you like a beer?
The shower is working again.
Are you playing a silent scene? Do you want a bit of chalk?
how are you doing, Bob?
l'm okay. l mean, l have this metal taste
scratching my throat and wanting to get out sometimes, but it can't,
so l'm okay,, l've been doing fine...
lt's good to know.
lt wasn't me.
You already said so.
Would you like a beer?
Or something...Would you... Would you like a beer?
Okay.
l think l have a pile of beers in the fridge, if you want...
Good grief! - Oh yes!
Shit! - You've got to be quick, Jack!
You've called Mário and Luísa.
Our daughter Alice has been missing for 193 days now.
At the time she had a blue coat on.
lf you happen to know anything about where she is,
please leave your name and number after the beep
and we'll call you later. Thank you so much.
We still don't know anything.
Thanks.
No...no, we don't know what happened.
l don't know, everywhere, l suppose.
Yes, yes. We're going there now.
Thanks. Bye.
Take my card.
Most of these cases are solved within 48 hours.
There's nothing we can do now but wait for news.
What we could do is already being dealt with.
Maybe we'll know something more by tomorrow.
Let me ask you some questions to put next to the photos on our site.
Colour of hair?
Light brown...
Curly, like mine.
Colour of eyes? - Also brown...
What was she wearing?
A blue coat, the school gown...
Beige stockings...
how can they ask me to stay home for 48 hours! For God's sake!
Calm down, calm down, okay?
Oh Mário, she's so little!
lt can't be true!
Mário, what if she has been run over! - Calm down, calm down!
Listen, honey... We're going to find her! Okay?
Oh, what am l going to do with my life, Mário?
Look... Look at me...
They have to find her, Mário, please!
You've got to talk to them!
We're going to find her, okay? l don't believe they'll do anything...
They won't do a thing!
They won't do a thing, Mário!
Luísa...Luísa, they'll... - They won't!
We're going to ... Luísa, calm down! Calm down, okay?
Stay calm, honey! Calm down. We'll find her. Don't worry.
My love, help me, help me.
l want my baby.
Come on... - l want to look for her with you.
Luísa, someone must stay home.
Mário, l can't go home if she isn't there...
Luísa, one of us has to stay at home. Someone might call with news ...
Listen, honey, help me out, okay? - No, Mário, don't leave me.
Help me, okay? Go home.
To Cacém.
Wake up! Wake up! - Let me sleep...
Wake up! Listen, did you see my daughter?
lt's yours?
Heh? lt's yours, isn't it??
Hello...
Yes, it's me.
Listen, l'm here on the street... Do you know anything yet??
The phone won't stop ringing.
So...?
She's been seen near school, near the station, but no one really knows...
l think they just want to help, but they don't know anything.
Come home, Mário. - l'm coming.
l'm coming.
l can't stand being alone here... l keep thinking where she might be...
Listen, l think l'm running out of coins!
My mobile phone's off, l'll call you back, okay, love?
Where is she? - Luísa, no...no...
Luísa, don't, don't be like that.
Hello, Luísa...
My daughter's name is Alice...
Good afternoon, my daughter's name is Alice...
Tell us something! Mário!
l was coming onto the motorway and l suddenly saw a child...
Was anyone with her? - No, she was alone.
Front door.
To the right, at the end of the hall.
There.
Mário! Mário! Look here! Did you find your daughter?! how is she?! Mário!
Don't the police know anything? - No.
Well, they've got so much more to do.
What about the TV stations? - You know...
At the start they were interested, but as nothing is happening...
Could the little girl already talk?
So that's easier.
My children only started talking at two.
The oldest one only started when she was two and a half years old.
Have you heard from her?
l could be dead and she wouldn't know it.
The last time l heard something
was through a cousin of mine who lives in France.
She told me she passed by to ask for money.
Me and Zé, we think it's better like this.
Zé doesn't like having strangers in the house.
Well, Zé doesn't even like people in general.
Do you understand Mário?
Listen... Listen, let me pay for the camera.
What about the work?
This is the only corner where we're not controlled.
lt doesn't belong to the airport or to the guys from the car park.
This is where l come when l want to be more at ease.
Last week's tapes from every single camera in the airport is there ...
Who came in and went out... everything! lf she went by, it's here.
how did you get all this?
There's nothing one can't do... With some skill, man...
Ricardo...Ricardo...!
This is Mário. Mário, are you okay?
Fine. Listen...
You know l admire you, man?
Okay. Where did you keep my camera? - You're very handsome!
Where did you put my camera? - Very handsome... l'll be back, okay?
Three.
What did she look like?
She had a blue coat on.
how can you be sure it was Alice if you didn't even see her face?
The tapes? - Here...
lt's okay, l'll go. - Really?
Not everyone fears a bit of odour...
Some people don't get frightened by a fridge.
You know the saying: ''Courage and stupidity are similar things.''
That's not a saying! - Yeah...
This has a technique! You've got to be determined!
lt seems there's something in there wanting to come out...
You have to be aggressive!
The smell wants to come out. lt's in a hurry!
That's what l'm talking about! - Okay then! Let's go! Let's go!
Do you see anyone smelling... crying?
You've only taken two of them out.
According to my skills l only need to take as many as l want.
ls it her?
Get dressed, Mário.
What if l got us that beer, eh, Bobby?
Okay.
Let me see if l can face the evil smell you've got there.
See if you're ready...
l think l became immune the last time.
Maybe you're not that sensitive. Give it a try!
Just look at this guy's olfactory courage...
Seriously, Bob. You should think about cleaning up once and for all!
And suddenly he became the Man with the Steel Nose!
Be careful, you must be quick.
You got to have a certain...
Ready? - Yes.
...aggressiveness.
Shit!
You took four of them!!
l'm home. Luísa...Luísa. Luísa!
Dog.
''MlSSlNG''
BUT THE WELLS OF FANTASY ALWAYS END UP BY DRAlNlNG
AND THE TlRED STORYTELLER TRlED TO ESCAPE AS HE COULD;
TOMORROW THE REST - lT'S ALREADY TOMORROW!
LEWlS CARROLL lN ALlCE'S ADVENTURES lN WONDERLAND
A VERY SPEClAL THANKS TO FlLOMENA MENDONCA ,
SHE WAS ESSENTlAL lN THE PREPARATlON AND RESEARCH FOR THlS FlLM
FlLOMENA'S SON, RUl PEDRO TElXElRA MENDONCA ,
DlSAPPEARED ON THE 1 4TH OF MARCH 1997
NEAR HlS HOUSE, lN LOUSADA, PORTUGAL
HE WAS ELEVEN THEN
RUl PEDRO (BROWN HAlR AND EYES), ELEVEN YEARS OLD